Domestic appliance



Jan. 22, 1929. 1,699,598

R. L. LEE

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Filed Aptil '7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan.22, H9290 11 699598 R. L. LEE

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Filed April 7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w u 1 wl 1 V\ I my r P v 2% ""llll'llll (lumen '01:

/7 W hid/ Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH L. LEE, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 DELCO-LIGHT COMPANY, OFDAYTON,

' OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE.

original application filed April 7, 1923, Serial No. 630,629. Dividedand this application filed May 28,

, 1926. Serial No. 112,256.

This invention relates to machines adapted to travel over a surface,loosen dirt or other foreign matter and remove it in a current of air.The present invention is a division of my copending application SerialNo. 630,629, filed April 7, 1923. v

Objects of'the invention are :to equal ze the pressure of air passingthrough all points of the air inlet Orifice of a vacuum cleaner; toenable a surface to be efliciently cleaned in corners with a minimum ofchange of position of the machine; to prevent the curling upward of themargins of rugs, loosely laid carpetsfor other fabrics by the suctionwhen a vacuumcleaner is moved across their edges; to simplify theassembling and disassembling of the operating mechanism and otherwise toincrease the efficiency, improve the operation and simplify thearrangement of parts of traveling Vacuum cleaners.

The invention consists in the combinations of elements and arrangementand construction of parts described in detail hereinafter, illustratedin the drawings forming a part hereof, and defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings, in which like parts are designated by like referencecharacters throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a vacuum cleaner embodying this invention asit would appear resting upon a floor in normal operating position;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the frame or main housing, the fan casingand parts above it having been broken away;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the heaters and beater shaft with thefront walls of the housing cut away to expose the interior;

Fig. 4 is a vertical fore and aft central section through the mainhousing and fan casing, exposing the mechanism within; and

Fig. 5, is a fragmentary view showing the main housing partly inhorizontal section, exposing the-heaters, beater shaft and lintgathering teeth in plan.

The ensuing description assumes the position of the parts to be in therelation that exists when the cleaner rests in operative position on afloor or other generally horizontal surface, which is the positionassumed in the ordinary use of machines of this character.

In the embodiment illustrated, 1 indicates as an entirety a hollow.supporting frame and main housing, which incloses a suction chambercommunicating with the exterior by an elongated air inlet or slot, inthe under surface of the frame, through which air may be drawn; 2 a fanor air pump casing in communication with said suction chamber, said fanand easing constituting a source or generator of loW pressure; 3 an airoutlet conduit leading from the fan casing; 4; a dust collectorcommunicating with the air outlet 3, and sustained as at by the handleof the instrument; 5 a housing for a motor; 6 a bail pivoted as at 6atopposite sides of the fan casing; 7 a handle connected to the bail,said handle having means, such as hooks or clips, for sustaining theconductor 8 that supplies energy to the motor, and a means for holdingand guiding a flexible actuator indicated as a Whole by 9, such as aB'owden Wire, for operating a clutch, the position of which determineswhether the vacuum cleaner is to be operated with or without beaters.Numeral 10 indicates a pivoted switch adapted to be opened by engagementwith the finger 10 upon movement of handle 7 and bail 6 to an uprightposition, to which the handle is pushed when the operator wishes to stopthe cleaning operation, and .to the closed upon movement of the handleand bail to an inclined position (as shown in Fig. 1) in which it ismost conveniently disposed to enable the machine to be manipulated forcleaning purposes. Motor housing 5 may be removed from fan casing 2after loosen ing screws 5*, and fan casing 2 may be released from frame.1 by removing screws 2.

The frame 1 is pointed or of plow-like form and is preferably triangularin plan and is adapted to be moved point foremost over a surface. Thesides 11 of the frame diverge rearward .from the forward rounded point12. The sides 11 may advantageously be at right angles to each other andvary in height from the point 12 to the rear corners 13 of the frame.Within frame 1 is a hollow suction chamber 14, substantially V-shape inhorizontal section, said chamber having in its under side acorrespondingly V-shaped air inlet orifice or mouth 15. The outer andfrontsides of the chamber are formed by the inner surfaces of the sidewalls 11 and rounded point 12 of the frame. Rear walls 16, connected bya transverse partition 16, extend'parallel with the sides 11 and theirlower edges, together with the lower edges of the closed rear and outerend portions '17 and front walls 11, outline said V-shaped air inlet inthe lower side of the frame. The Space between the side walls iscompletely covered by an approximately triangular top plate 18, slopingrearward and upward from point 12, and preferably cast as a part of theframe. An elevated circular boss 19, havlng a plane top 'is formed" onthe rear portion of plate 18, midway between the corners 13, said planetop having an open mg 20 connected with a chamber 21 the in terior ofwhich is connected by lateral passages 21, of equal capacity with therear outer ends of the limbs or branches of V- shape suction chamber14:.

Mounted on top of boss 19 is the casing 2 which, in this embodiment,incloses a rotary fan 22. The under wall of easing 2 has a hole'20 inregistration with hole 20 m the top of boss 19, the port formed by saidregistering holes constituting the outlet port for air drawn from thesuction chamber 14 into and through chamber 21 by fan 22 the center ofthis port being equidistant from the passages 21*.

Thus, air drawn through the air inlet 15 finds its way through lateralpassages 21 into the chamber 21 from the rear ends of the branches ofthe V-shaped suction-chantber 14, and is drawn upward through port 20,20*, which is immediately adjacent to the low pressure side of the airpump. The rearward outer extremities of the V-shaped suction chamber 14and the corresponding ends of the V-shaped inlet 15 are nearest theoutlet port 20, 20 on the low- "ressure side of the fan or pump, and theorward angular point of chamber 14 and adjacent portion of the inlet arefarthest from said outlet port and the source of reduced pressure. By agradual reduction of the cross sectional area and cubic capacity of thesuction chamber 14 proceeding from the points nearest the outet port tothe oints farthest therefrom in proper degree t e pressure of the airentering the inlet may be substantially equalized at all points.

Mounted removably on the air pump cas in 2 is the motor housing 5inclosing in this embodiment, an electric motor not specifically shown)having an upright armature shaft 23 to which the rotary fan is secured.Air and dustdrawn into casing 2 is forced through outlet 3 into the dustcol.- lector 4.

The under surface of hollow frame 1 between the branches of ll-shapedsuction chamber" 1d may be recessed as indicated at 24. To the upperwall of this recess may be secured means adapted to carry supportingdevices, symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the fore and aftcenter line of the frame which passes through the point 12 eeaaea I andbisects the angle formed by the V-shaped suction chamber. Said means mayconveniently be a ill-shaped bracket 25 to the end of each limb of whicha supportin device such as a roller 26 is pivoted. ther brackets 27,which may be formed integral with the frame, extend rearward from therear corners of said frame, and to which brackets 27 two othersupporting rollers 28 may be pivoted. Said four rollers, or equlvalentsupporting devices, are so disposed as to hold the lower face of thehollow frame and the edges of the air inlet therein, spaced slightlyfrom and parallel with any surface upon which said rollers may rest, orover which the machine may be caused to travel, and to guide it in apath parallel with said fore and aft center line.

Tn order to loosen sand, dust, mud or the like, that may be embedded ina fabric, mechanical cleaning devices in the form of beaters areprovided within the suction chamber 14 and disposed so as to operatelengthwise of the inlet opening and beat and agitate the carpet or otherfabric over which the cleaner is being moved. The air pump used isintended to be of such power and the structure and arrangement of partssuch that air currents entering the chamber through the air inlet willlift a portion of the carpet or other fabric free from the floor orother surface on which it rests so that the beater arms operating uponthis lifted portion will most efi'ectively jar the dirt loose from thefabric throwing the loosened particles into the air currents .by whichthey will be carried to the dust collector.

The beater arms referred to consist preferably of flexible, elasticflattened strips 30 of greater horizontal width than thickness extendingoppositely from the underside of one end of an oscillatory beater shaft31 which projects into the V-shape suction chamber 14 of the frame 1 ina fore and aft direction, substantially at the junction of the twobranches of said chamber. The shaft 31 is disposed in a plane parallelwith and slightly above the edge of air inlet orifice 15 and its axisintersects the rounded point 1.2 of the frame. The beater arms 30 extendat an angle to each other in two planes, They are arranged oblique tothe axis of the shaft 31 and diverge rearward so that they occupy aposition arallel with the branchesof the ll-shaped c amber and walls 11,(as shown, in Fig. 5) and when vibrated strike with their wider surfacesthe crest of the wave of fabric that has been lifted by the suction in awave like formation. The heater arms are also disposed at an obliqueangle to each other measured in a vertical plane or planes at rightangles to the axis of beater shaft 31. This relation is clearl shown inFig. 3, the obtuse reentrant am e formed by the beater arms in thisplane being disposed on the upper side of the beater arms or the sideaway from the mouth of the air inlet. This arrangement of the flexible,elastic beater arms allows of their striking a blow along the greaterpart of their length and permitting a very considerable amplitude ofvibration,

In order to connect the heaters securely to the front end of shaft 31said front end is tapered as at 32 and threaded at its extremity; and ayoke 33, provided with a correspondingly tapered hub, is sleeved uponsaid tapered end, relative rotation between said yoke and shaft beinginsured against by means of a pin 34 passing through shaft 31 andengaging notches 35 in the rear end of the hub of said yoke 33, a nut 33on threaded end of shaft 31 holding the yoke so engaged. The laterallyextended arms 9f yoke 33 depend, or are offset toward the lower side ofthe axis of the shaft 31 and have under surfaces inclined to each othersubstantially in the same degree as the heaters 30. A correspondinglyangled holder plate 36 may be secured to said yoke by screws 37. Saidplate 36 may be provided with sockets 38 into which the ends of beaterarms 30 may be inserted and from which they may be removed should it bedesired to replace them by new ones.

Bamboo is a desirable-material from which to form the beater arms sinceit is of fibrous structure, light, strong, flexible, elastic and doesnot in operation cut or wear a fabric to .a serious extent. As the shaft31 in operation is oscillated at a high rate of speed the beater arms 30will flex and operate upon the fabric with an elastic whipping actionthat is found to be most effective for the purpose of loosening dirt.

The beater arms deliver quick, sharp blows to the raised zone of fabricalong lines substantially parallel with the sides of said raised zone,the effect of which is to flex a portion thereof underneath and at eachside of the heaters. Eachtime a beater arm is lifted the zone of fabricbeneath the air inlet assumes its fully upward bowed or lifted positionunder the influence of the air suction. lit willbe understood that theforce of the suction is suflicient at all times to hold the fabricraised from the floor and that while the heaters are in operation thefabric is being continuously flexed. The effect of the blows of thebeater arms is transmitted in wave like vibrations to the lifted portionof the fabric on each side and end of and beyond the beater arm, evencausing the particles of sand or like extraneous particles held in thefabric outside the edges of the air inlet to become loosened therefromand bounce or dance above the fabric around the edges of the plow shapedframe. It is to this continuous beating and flexing of the fabric thatthe superior cleaning 'capacity of this invendust, so to state, and whenthe fabric rebounds from the flexing due to the blows of the beater armsunder the influence of the air suction the dust and heavier particles ofmatter are thrown upward into the air currents, and being already inmotion upward they are the more readily continued in motion and carriedoff by the air currents. It is thus possible with this apparatus easilyto liftdand carry ofi' heavy particles, such as san A further advantageof the continuous rapid flexing of the fabric, especially when thefabric is a heavy carpet, lies in the fact that the body of the carpetbelow the nap is continually worked in such a way as to loosen theextraneous matter embedded therein. While the heavy matter embedded inthe texture of a carpet is not ordinarily noticeable and for that reasonof little concern to the average user'of carpets, it is a fact,nevertheless, that such matter, especially when it is sharp or abrasivelike sand, is very detrimental to the life of the carpet. The grindingin of such matter underfoot is accompanied by a relative motion of thesand and fabric which gradually cuts the fibers constituting the nap,and eventually destroys the body of the carpet.

It is obvious from the foregoing description that this inventionprovides an effective means for removing from carpets and other fabricsextraneous matter.

The armature shaft 23 of the motor constitutes the prime shaft; and saidshaft together with the resilient driving member 40 connected therewithand an extension shaft 39 in continuation thereof constitutes a motordriven shaft. Shaft 39 extends within a housing 57 containing suitablespeed reduction gearing, mechanism for imparting a vibratory motion toshaft 31, and clutching mechanism for rendering said mechanism operativeand inoperative. Said clutching mechanism is controlled by a flexiblewire 76 extending to some point on the handle 7 where it can beconveniently reached by the operator and fastened in the desiredposition, as by a small grooved pulley 76 held by friction in a slot inthe handle, to which the wire is anchored. Housing 57 is suitablysecured to the underside of the bottom wall of chamber 21 and alsoincludes a tubular portion 62 for shaft 31 which extends through and issuitably secured to wall 16.

By reason of the plow'shape or pointed form of the hollow frame 1, withits sides at right angles to each other rounded forward corner andV-shaped air inlet, the cleaner may be pushed into room corners andeffectively remove dirt from the floor without marring room wallsand'without the necessity of the operator changing position, or firstadvancing the cleaner against one wall, then turning it at right anglesand advancing it against the other. Moreover, the oblique disposition ortrend of the branches of the air inlet slot with respect to the courseor line of direction which the apparatus is adapted to follow in movingover a floor or other surface, enables it to be operated back and forthacross the edge of the rug, loose carpet. or other fabric unsecured tothe floor or surface over which the apparatus is being moved withoutcurling up the edge of the fabric and interfering with the even travelof the apparatus. This is for the reason that the inlet slot can neverbe positioned wholly over a narrow zone substantially parallel with anedge of a rug or the like where by the edge is likely to be lifted bythe suction and curled over or dragged by the apparatus in itsmovements, as is likely to occur in operating with vacuum cleanerswherein the inlet slot is disposed at right angles to the line oftravel. In a vacuum cleaner having the air inlet slot obliquely disposedin whole or in part with respect to the line of travel, and particularlywhere the inlet is it-shaped, the full force of the suction is notapplied to the rug or other fabric until the entire under area of themain frame rests upon it and holds it flat except for the portion ofarea lifted to the slot nor need the width of the swath or space cleanedbe narrowed. And in whatever direction the apparatus is propelled acrossthe edge of a rug or the like the latter will be held down while the airinlet slot passes gradually over the edge in a direction either endwiseor oblique with respect to at least one of the branches of the slot sothat it becomes impossible to concentrate the full force of the suctionclose to the edge.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood thatother forms mig t be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a frame having a substantially V-shaped chamberprovided with a correspondingly V-shaped air inlet orifice in one sideof said chamber, and a source of reduced ressure 1n communication withthe rear en s of the branches of said chamber, said branchesincreasingin cubic capacity from their point of junction toward the endsthereof.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a frame having branches diverging rearwardformin a substantially V-shaped chamber provided with a correspondinglyV-shaped air inlet orifice in its under surface and a source of reducedpressure disposed adjacent the rear of the branches substantiallyequidistant therefrom and in communication with said branches, the sidesof said chamber increasing in height from their junction toward the rearand the top thereof being of less height at the front than at the rearin order to equalize the pressure of air entering the air inlet.

3. in a vacuum cleaner, a chambered frame having sides divergingrearward to provide twov chamber branches, one end of each branch beingjoined adjacent the front of the frameand each having its opposite endclosed to provide a V-shaped chamber, said frame being slotted in itsunder face substantially arallel with said sides thus forming a V-s apedorifice to provide for ad mission of air to'said V-shaped chamber, saidchamber being arranged to form inwardly extending air passages connectedto the rear ends of said branches, and a source. of reduced pressure incommunication with the passages.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a frame having a substantially V-shaped chamberprovided with a correspondingly V-shaped air inlet orifice in one sideof said chamber, a source of reduced pressure in communication with thebranches of said chamber, difierent portions of said branches beingdisposed at different distances from said source, each of the branchesof said chamber tapering from the part adjacent that portion of theinlet nearest the source of reduced pressure to that part of saidbranches furthest from said source so as to equalize the pressure of theair entering through all parts of said V- shaped inlet.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

1 RALPH L. LEE.

